Circuit-continuing device



HQA; DOUGLAS. `CIRCUIT-CONTINUING DEVICE. l, v APPLICATION msuAue.15,191s. l l 1,347,737, Patented July 27, 1920.

I 2 sHEETsSHEET 1.

UNITED STATES CIRCUIT-CONTINUING DEVICE.

Application filed August 15, 1918.

To all 'who/2L t may concer/n lie it known that I, HARRY A. DOUGLAS,citizen of the United States, residing` at Bronson, in the county ofBranch and State of illichigan, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in CircuitContin uing Devices7 of which the following is afull` clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to circuit continuing devices and has for itsgeneral object the provision of an improved assembly of component partsof suoli a device. My invention is of particular service in conjunctionwith an incandescent lamp structure as thereby I am enabled to readilydemount the lamp bulb and replace it by a circuit extending` plug` uponone end of a flexible cord whose other end carries a socket with' whichthe lamp maybe connected. of especial utility in connection withautomobiles, the device of my invention enabling me so to mount anincandescent lamp upon' thedash board of an automobile that it'mayreadily be relocated upon the end vof the flexible cord which issufficiently long .to enable the lamp to be moved tliroughout .theautomobile 'for the purpose of inspection. the lamp then serving as aso-called trouble lamp.

ln carrying out my invention l employ a main socket which, in the caseof an automobile cowl lamp, would be mounted on the dash board of theautomobile, a supplemental socket at the forward end of the mainlsockctand in separable engagement there with. a contact carrier. such as thebase of the lamp,`in ythe supplemental socket. and `a contact carrier inthe main socket having a contact or cr tacts for engaging a contact orcontacts upon the carrier in the supplep mental socket. ln anincandescent lamp structure the contact carrier in the main v. sockethas a forwardly spring pressed contact for engaging the correspondingcontact upon the lamp base and, by such engagement, serving to maintainthe lamp and supplemental socketl together and also serving to maintainthe supplemental socket and the main socket together.

ln the preferred form of the invention the two sockets are in bayonetprojection and channel connection and the contact carrier in thesupplemental socket is in bayonet projection and channel engagement withthis socket. Where the incandescent lamp bulb is housed Within a hood orcowl the Specification of Letters .'atent.

Such a lamp isk Patented July 27, 1920.

seriai No. 250,024.

lreference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodimentthereof and in which Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a cowllamp made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a view, mainly inlongitudinal section., illustrating a circuit extending cord; Fig. 3 isa view illustrating the combination of structures f illustrated in Figs.l and 2. the supplemental socket being replaced by the plug on the innerend of the circuit extending cord. the removed supplemental socket andthe lamp therein together with the cowl about the lamp being now coupledwith the outer socket end of the circuit extending cord; l ig. l is aview on line 4-4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 illustrates the parts shown in Fig. 4in separated relation; Fig. 6 is a view on line 6 6 of Fig. 4. on alarger scale; Fig. 7 is a view-on line 7-7 of Fig. 4. on a largerpsr-ale: Fig. 8 is a. view on line 8 8 of Fig. ,4. on a larger scale:and'Figs. 9 and 10 are -views showing modifications of parts.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe different figures.

The main socket or shell l is supported within a ferrule 2 having aflange 3 which is' screwedto the dash board or other mounting 4. Thismain socket contains a contact carrier 5, -and as the structureillustrated is a socalled two pole structure but to which the inventionis not to be limited. this contact carrier supports two spring contactscomprising contacting plungers 6 and 7 which are respectively forwardlyvpressed by coiled springs 8 and 9. The plunger conH tact 7 and. thecoiled spring 9 operate in the bore of a terminal conductor l0 to whicha circuit conductor l1 is secured. The other circuit conductor 12 issecured to a. terminal conductor 13 having a bore in its forward end. Aplunger contact le operates 1n this bore and is pressed forwardly by acoiled spring 15. A switching metallic contact 16 is mounted in theinsulating bar 17 that is a carrier for the contact 16 and which barpasses transversely through the shell 1 and is movable laterally of suchshell. The' spring 8 and the contact 6 are operable in a currentconducting spring barrel 18 which is alined with the plunger contact 14.Then the switching contact 16 is placed in alinement with the plungercontact 14 and the spring barrel 18, the plunger contact 6 iselectrically connected with the circuit conductor 12 whereby any circuitcontinuing device that is connected with the forward ends of thecontacts 6 and7 is included in circuit. lheii the switching contact 16is moved out of alinement with the elements 14 and 18 the circuit isopened. The forward end of the main socket 1 has bayonet channels formedtherein, these bayonet channels preferably being in the nature ofbayonet slots 19 extending through the side of the socket 1. Asupplemental socket 20 surrounds tlie forward end of the main socket andhas inwardly extending bayonet proj ections 21 for engagement with thebayonet seats afforded by said bayonet slots or channels to couple bothsockets separably. The

supplemental socket, in surrounding theA main socket, conceals thebayonet slots 19 to improve the appearance of the structure and thebayonet channels 19, by being in the form of slots, permit the couplingof a circuitextending plug with and within the main socket 1 when thesupplemental socket 20 is removed. y15in-incandescent lamp bullo 22 hasits base supplied with bayonet projections 23 which are insertablewithin the bayonet channels or slots 24 formed in the supplemental shell2() in order separablyto couple the lamp bulb with said supplementalsocket. The base of this lamp bulb constitutes a contact carrier whichsupports the .contacts 25 and 26 which are connected with the terminalsof the lamp bulb filament. These contacts 25 and 26 are engaged by theforwardly spring pressed contacts 6 and 7 when the main and supplementalsockets have been assembled and when thelamp bulb is assembled with thesupplemental socket. These contacts 6, 7, pressing forwardly upon thecontacts upon the lamp bulb base, maintain all kof said bayonetprojections 21 and 23 in engagement with their seats in thecorresponding bayonet channels 19 and 24. When the aforesaid switchingcontact 16 is alined with the contacts 14 and 18 to be engaged therebythe incandescent lamp bulb is in circuit and when this tact 16 is out ofsuch alinement the circuit of such lamp bulb is open.

Where a cowl or hood is to be provided for the lamp bulb the socket 20desirably has a cylindrical skirt 27 thereon upon which the cylindricalcowl 28 may be disposed and on which skirt said cowl may be turned toadjust the 'location of the light emitting opening 281 formed in thecowl.

Then the lamp bulb is to be placed upon the end of a circuit extendingcord iii order that it may be shifted about to furnish light upon partsto be inspected, it is not necessary to remove the cowl and thereafterto remove the lamp bulb since the entiie supplemental socket carryingthe lamp bulb and cowl may be uncoupled from the main socket andthereafter connected with the forward end of a flexible circuitextending cord 29 whose iear end is connected with the main socket.lVhen the inspection has been concluded the relocation of thesupplemental socket upon the main socket may readily be effected. Theadjustment of the lamp bulb from main socket to cord and vice versa isthus simply and easily effected without danger of breaking or iinpairingthe bulb and without the necessity of manipulating a large number ofparts in order to shift the bulb.

The circuit extending cord 29 has a contact structure upon its rear endwhich is iii v the form of a contact carrying plug 30 having conductorterminals 31, 32 connected with the strands 33, 34 of the cord. Thisplug carries 'bayonet projections 35 which are receivable in the bayonetchannels or slots 19 when the supplemental socket 2O is removed, theforwardly pressed spring contacts 6 and 7 engaging the contacts 31, 32when the plug 30 is assembled with the main socket 1. The other end ofthe circuit extending cord 29 is provided with a Contact structure whichpreferably includes a socket 36 which holds a contact carrier 37 thatsupports terminals 38. 39 that are connected with the strands of thecord. The forward ends of the terminals 38 and 39 are formed with boresin Which coiled springs 4()` 4'1 are disposed and in which the plungercon- 'tacts 42 and 43 operate, these contactsl being forwardly pressedby said springs. The

`socket 36 has bayonet channels or slots 44 formedtherein at its forwardend to receive the bayonet projections 21 on the supplemental socket 2()in order separably to couple this supplemental socket with the cordsocket 36! .lfVhen 'so coupled the springs 4() and 41 press the contacts42 and 43 against the contacts 25 and 26 upon the lamp bulb base. Thespring pressed contacts 42 and 43 not only serve to maintain the bayonetprojections 23 in engagement with the bavonet channels 24 but by reasonof the eiigagement so maintained the bayonet projections 21 aiemaintained in engagement with the bayonet channels 44. In this assemblythe socket 36, in its relation to the supplemental socket 20, is a mainsocket.

The socket that contains the lamp bulb Fig. 9. In the construction shownin this latter figure thek portion that contains the bayonet slots 24 isay returned portion 20 of the socket, this returned portion being freeof the socket at its rear end instead of being rigidly rconnected withthe socket as in the construction of'Fig. 5. The modified contactcarrier 30v shown in Fig. 10 has a different form of bayonet pins 35than that elsewhere shown.

The advantages and utility of the outfit of my invention will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art and while I have herein shown andparticularly describedthe preferred form of the invention I do not wishto be limited thereto nor, in all in-y stances, do I wish to be limitedto the cornbination of m improved lamp structure with the circuitextending cord structure. It will be understood that `changes mayreadily be made in the construction shown without departing from thespirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following l. Anincandescent electric lamp structure including a main socket; asupplemental socket at the forward end of the main socket and inseparable bayonet projection and channel engagement therewith; anincondescent lamp bulb whose base is in separable bayonet projection andchannel engagement with the supplemental socket; and a contact carrierin the main socket having a spring contact pressing forwardly upon acontact uponthe lamp bulb base to maintain all of said bayonetprojections in engagement with their seats in the bayonet channels, incombination with a circuit extending cord having a plug at one end whichis insertable within the forward end of the main socket and carries acontact engageable with a complemental Contact upon the carrier in themain socket, said cord having a socket at its other end formed to haveseparable bayonet projection and channel engagement with thesupplemental socket, this socket upon the cord having a Contact car.-rier provided with a spring contact pressing forwardly and adapted toengage a complemental contact upon the lamp base that is within thesupplemental socket.

2. AnA incandescenty electric lamp structure including a main socketadapted to receive a circuit extending plug within its forward end; asupplemental socket surrounding the forward end of the main socket andin separable bayonet projection and channel engagement therewith; anincandescent lamp bulb whose base is in separable bayonet projection andchannel engagement with the supplemental socket; and a contact carrierin the main socket having a spring contact pressing forwardly upon acontact upon the lamp bulb base to maintain all of said bayonetprojections in engage ment with their seats in the bayonet channels, incombination with a circuit extending cord having a plug at one end whichis insertable within the forward end of the main socket and carries acontact engageable with a complemental contact upon the contact carrierin the main socket, said cord having a socket at its other endreceivable in the supplemental socket and formed to have separablebayonet projection and channel engagement therewith, this socket uponthe cord having a contact carrier provided with a spring contactpressing forwardly and adapted to engage a complemental Contact upon thelamp base that is within the supplemental socket.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this twelfth day ofAugust, A. D. 1918.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

